Does anybody know if and when the parlor cars will be going on their winter "maintenance" hiatus? I love the PPC and find it amazing that the classiest cars in Amtrak's fleet started out life on an all-coach train?
PPC Status on Coast Starlight
- Thread starter ChuckL
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ChuckL
Service Attendant
I had the fortunate opportunity to travel on the El Capitan with my grandmother to Los Angeles in 1968. From what I recall, the Chief was still a separate train and I believe the El Capitan followed shortly behind. Hence, all of my interest in getting on a HiLevel once again for nostalgia’s sake. Now if only Dearborn Station still existed in Chicago, that could have been another repeated memory when I left on my trip to LA and San Diego. Incidentally, the PPC’s was not on it’s door, so I’ll have to get it when we make a longer stop.
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cpotisch
Engineer
Fun fact: Only two years into revenue service (on the Santa Fe El Capitan), that all-coach train was combined with the first-class-only Super Chief (all Budd cars). The train remained combined on into the Amtrak era, so when it comes down to it, Hi-Levels (for the most part) started off on a multi-class (sleeper and coach) train.
Really? I thought they were operated separately on a regular basis longer than that. The original high level cars were acquired in 1956, including what is now the PPC cars (I believe they were originally called Sky Lounge). The 1964 order included coaches that were virtually identical and the older ones went to the San.Francisco Chief. Although I’m sure it was because of the holiday season, I do know that when I rode the Super Chief from Chicago on New Year’s Day 1969, we were operated as an all Pullman train. The equipment and service were superb. The El Cap followed.
ChuckL
Service Attendant
That’s my recollection from 1968 too. The El Capitan was pretty nice too!
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The El Cap indeed lost its separate train status in 1958, at least as far as the timetable was concerned. The train operated combined through much of the year. However, during peak periods in the summer and during the holidays, the El Cap operated as a separate train as the second section of 17/18.
In recent years, the PPCs were pulled out of service for maintenance in early January and returned to service in mid-March.
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ChuckL
Service Attendant
One of the PPC attendants confirmed these dates in a conversation I had with him recently. He also said, as has been alluded to on AU before, that this was just the politically correct response to being out of service at that time for maintenance, when in fact it was a cost savings measure by Amtrak.
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